All Her Own: Tiffany's Journey to Homeownership

Above: Tiffany and her daughter, Kylie, stand near the future site of their new home

All Her Own: Tiffany's Journey to Homeownership

by Whitney Bowling, AmeriCorps Direct Service Member at HDA

For the last 2 years, Tiffany Mullins has worked closely with HDA Housing Counselors and Redbud Financial Alternatives staff to provide a better home for her and her children. This summer, Tiffany will move her kids into their forever home in Viper, KY.

“I’m excited to move into my home,” said Tiffany, a single mother of four. “I’m tired of paying rent for something that will never be mine.”

Tiffany has been working with the Housing Development Alliance (HDA) and Redbud Financial Alternatives (RFA) for over 2 years. She was in the process of a separation that led to divorce and wanted a home to call her own.

“I want to be able to provide a home for my children that they can come back to as they grow up and eventually pass it on to them,” she said. “I want to show them that it’s possible if they work hard.”

Tiffany grew up in Vicco, KY, which is close to the Knott County line, and now, her children go to school near there. She thought she was going to have to move to Wendell H. Ford Regional Airport in far northern Perry County, a full half hour away and where HDA has built several new homes, but she wasn’t too keen on uprooting her kids’ lives completely.

“Chris (HDA’s Assistant Director) called me and said he had [lots available] at the Sportsplex or at the airport,” she explained, adding that she wasn’t excited about either option. “I said I know you probably think I’m picky but I’m really not! I just work in Vicco and my kids go to school up here.”

"Chris told me he would keep looking. Then, one day, he called me again and said I’ve got land in Viper - come meet me! I was like, all right! That made me so happy.”

Since HDA was able to find land in Viper for Tiffany, she will be able to live close to family and her kids won’t have to switch schools.

During the two-year process of working towards owning a home with HDA, she has also worked with HDA’s affiliate CDFI RFA (Redbud Financial Alternatives). In that time, she has paid off over $9,600 in debt and her credit score went from a 669 in January 2023 to a 759 in January 2025!

In addition, she has successfully paid off her car loan and refinanced her son’s car that was in her name over to his. This has not only helped bring her debt down, but it’s also allowed her to start credit for her son. Her monthly debt payments have gone from $565 to $124, and she is still actively working on paying down more debt.

“They were amazing to work with,” Tiffany said, when speaking about the staff at RFA. “I learned a lot from them about credit and how it works. Now, I can teach my kids how to establish good credit!”

Though she’s had many ups and downs over the last two years, Tiffany has persevered.

“I thought about giving up at one point,” she admitted. “But I said no, you’ve worked too hard to give up now! I considered getting a trailer, but ultimately, I decided I wanted a house and stuck it out.”

“If HDA hadn’t been so willing to work with me and help me out, I wouldn’t be here right now,” Tiffany said. “I’m so happy I will soon be in my forever home with my children!”

To find out more about HDA’s Homeownership Program, click here.